BOULDER, Colo. – The streets of Boulder will be alive this Memorial Day as the traditional BOLDERBoulder 10K returns after a two year hiatus.
Every year since 1979, the running of the BOLDERBoulder has meant the unofficial start to summer – 50,000 people hitting the streets of the college town on Memorial Day, winding their way to the finish line at Folsom Field.
- Register now for the 2022 BOLDERBoulder
But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, everything had to be put on hold. Unable to bring thousands of people together for a single event, race organizers decided to change things up.
“The last I guess, 22 months, really set the stage with some of these virtual events and challenges,” race director Cliff Bosley said, adding that they also took the opportunity as an organization to evaluate how they operate. “The theme that came out of that was, there might be some moving parts that we could simplify.”
One of the changes most runner won’t see is the BOLDERBoulder’s new streamlined headquarters. The majority of the desks in the building are empty now but will fill up about 100 days before the race when seasonal team members start arriving.
Another change — instead of a warehouse, the BOLDERBoulder is using a handful of trailers right now to hold the equipment they use to stage the race. Everything from tables for aid stations to wave signs and fencing.
Logistics and operation manager Dee Rohrbaugh says the equipment will be unloaded just before the race and then packed into other trucks that will be used to set the course up in the days before the race.
“We know exactly how many numbers of each thing go on each truck for the aid stations for the start to finish,” Rohrbaugh said.
Nothing is left to chance when organizing the race. Bands are spread out along the course and everything, including the placement of bathrooms, gets scrutinized from year to year.
“I've been looking at past years aerial photos, and seeing where they were too busy and some that weren't busy enough, Rohrbaugh added.
Race organizers say while runners may notice a few small changes this year, at this point they’re not planning on scaling anything back. That’s good news for the 50,000 people who hope to run or walk the course as well as the 100,000 that will be cheering them on.
“I think we're just all excited that we get to do this thing again,” Bosley said.
Registration is now underway for the 2022 BOLDERBoulder.
